Nepalese animal rights groups pleaded Monday for the life of a lovelorn elephant which has trampled several people to death and is being hunted down by an army execution squad.

The male tusker, named Dhrube by locals, has been targeting humans on a killing spree in southern Nepal after being kept from potential mates, experts say, and is suspected of killing up to 15 people over four years.

"Killing the love-struck elephant is unethical, illegal, inhumane and unnecessary," Animal Nepal and Animal Welfare Network Nepal (AWNN) said in a joint statement.

Rangers removed the beast's tusks after it was suspected of killing two people in separate incidents in November -- but they then attached a tracking device and set it free.

It is suspected of killing six people across a wide swathe of Nepal's southern plains since then, including a couple in their 60s, and the army launched a shoot-to-kill hunt last week in Chitwan National Park.

The elephant first came to the attention of authorities five years ago when it destroyed an army post in an attack on soldiers in Chitwan, 150 kilometres (95 miles) south of Kathmandu.

The tusker, named after the army post, is accused of killing a soldier in Chitwan soon afterwards.

Rangers suggest the animal went rogue after being prevented from mating with females in Chitwan.

"Elephants are naturally docile animals that do not attack humans unless provoked," said Pramada Shah of AWNN.

"The situation has been caused by human failure to manage the elephant correctly. It is therefore our responsibility to find a legal and humane solution."

The groups called for park authorities to "resocialise" Dhrube.

Nepal has about 300 elephants, including around 100 domesticated adults which take tourists on jungle rides.

Oscillation of gene activity may underpin how embryos grow in proportionHeidelberg, Germany (SPX) Dec 24, 2012
From a single-cell egg to a fully functional body: as embryos develop and grow, they must form organs that are in proportion to the overall size of the embryo. The exact mechanism underlying this fundamental characteristic, called scaling, is still unclear.
However, a team of researchers from EMBL Heidelberg is now one step closer to understanding it. They have discovered that scaling of t ... read more

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency.
All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement